Speaking during a round-table discussion at the Africa Energy Forum in Cape Town on Thursday, Ramokgopa said the plan recognises the need for a balanced energy mix that incorporates a range of technologies including nuclear power, clean coal and flexible gas generation.
“At the same time, we approach this transition with a pragmatic clarity, a reliable and secure energy future rests on a balanced mix,” he said.
“That includes clean coal technologies, reflexible gas generation and nuclear power, all integrated into a decarbonisation pathway that is responsible and visible.”
Ramokgopa cautioned against promoting a single energy source at the expense of others, arguing for an inclusive strategy that reflects national priorities and socioeconomic realities.
Also at the forum, Eswatini’s Minister of Natural Resources and Energy, Prince Lonkhokhela Dlamini, raised concerns about the challenges faced by African countries in accessing development finance. He criticised international financial institutions and investors for maintaining a “skewed risk perception” of Africa, which, he said, hinders energy project development across the continent.
“Finance is important. We are seen as risky, especially us as African countries,” Dlamini said. “But when you go to the ground, it is not as perceived by those who say Africa is risky.”
He also called for increased land availability to facilitate energy infrastructure projects.
SA's Western Cape province's Minister of Infrastructure, Tertuis Simmers, highlighted regulatory delays and policy inconsistencies as major obstacles to energy development in SA. He pointed to overlapping responsibilities among various government departments as a source of project stagnation.
“There are slow approval processes because they require multiple government departments,” Simmers said. “The Department of Energy, the Department of Environmental Affairs, local municipalities, all play a role, and all of this hinders the project timeline.”
He added that more investment in transmission lines is urgently needed to boost electricity capacity.
--SABC/ChannelAfrica--
